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proliferations found in Picea excelsa, Tsuga canadensis, 
Pinus Pinaster, Larix europaea etc., regard the ovuliferous 
scale as being formed by the fusion of two lateral leaves 
of an axillary shoot, standing in the axil of the bract. 
Às concerns these different theories, Î can not agree with 
Coulter and Chamberlain (51) when they say: ,, To 
select amongst these views is more difficult than important” 
(p. 250), for to solve the question about the position of 
the ovule and the value of the integuments it is of great 
importance to know the origin and nature of the organs 
bearing the ovules. 
Though Eichler (62) has given many arguments against 
the opinion that the strobilus in the Pinaceae is a com- 
pound one, and in favour to his view of the ligular 
character, he doesnot give a decisive explanation as to 
the nature of the monstruosities mentioned above. 
It is Delpino (54) who has given a very original 
idea, to regard the ovuliferous scale as nomologous to 
the strobilus of Ginkgo but he explains them both as 
fused lateral lobes of an excrescenz of the bract. Though 
his conclusion is not correct, [| am inclined to accept the 
base of his idea, in comparing the female brachyblast of 
Ginkgo with the macrostrobilus of one of the Pinaceae. 
And lead by this comparison, it seems to me most 
probable to regard the ovuliferous scale to be a reduced 
axillary shoot. If we keep in mind that, as we have al- 
ready seen, the strobilus of Ginkgo biloba, arising in the 
axil of a scale or a leaf on a short shoot, is reduced 
from an axis with several sporophylls to a simple flat 
stalklet with two ovules, surrounded by a small aril, a 
further reduction to the case represented by the ovuli- 
ferous scale in Pinus is not too exorbitant. 
After all it is an explanation most in accordance with 
the observations in other Gvmnosperms where compound 
strobili are to be found. 
